Tall erect shrubs, up to 2 metres. Stem woody and much branched, glabrescent. Leaves ternate, petioles 1-3 cm. long, densely sericeous. Stipules ochreate, ferrugineus, united near the base, auricles oblong-ovate. Leaflets broadly elliptic-obovate, entire, acute, upper surface densely sericeous, lower surface glabrous. Flowers solitary, 2.5-3.0 cm. diam., pedicels small, densely sericeous, outer sepals elliptic, acute, entire or 2-fid, ± leafy, inner sepals ovate, acute, entire. Petals suborbicular, 1.1-1.3 cm. long and broad, yellow. Stamens about 20, anthers monothecous. Carpels numerous, long-hairy, styles lateral, c. 2 mm. Long, thickened above, clavate. Achenes completely concealed in long, thin sericeous hairs.

Fl. Per.: June-September

Type: Described from Kamaon, Wall. Catalogue 1009 (K!).

Distribution: Kashmir and India.

Potentilla rigida Wall ex Lehm. has been reported from Kashmir (Panigrahi & Dixit, l. c. 1985) but I have not seen any specimens of it from that area. The above description is from a north Indian specimen.

This species is closely related to Sino-Himalayan Potentilla arbuscula D.Don in h aving glabrous lower surfaces of the leaflets and larger flowers. The shape of the outer sepals is also identical in both the species. Potentilla arbuscula, however, differs in h aving pentafoliolate leaves (not ternate as in Potentilla rigida).

A rare species, found between 3 – 3,500 m, on open sunny slopes.